Product Info

Technique: Each of these glass beads is individually made by melting colourful glass rods in a 2000F flame. The molten glass is wound around a steel rod (called a mandrel) in layers, dots and stripes. I often use frit, or crushed bits of glass, to decorate the beads, and a masher to flatten them. The beads go directly from the flame into a kiln where they are slowly cooled or annealed. Properly cooled beads are very strong and durable. If your bead becomes damaged or broken Contact me and I will replace it with something similar.

Glass: The technique used to make the beads is known as lampworking or flame working and it was developed long ago in Italy. The beads are called lampwork beads. Much of the glass I use is Italian soft glass (Effetre) which is available in many transparent and opaque colours. I also use CIM (Creation is Messy) glass because of the wonderful colours that are available. A lovely organic effect can be achieved by adding a tiny bit of silver-rich glass (Double Helix) to the mix of colours in a bead. Results are often unpredictable which adds to the adventure!

Care: All of the jewellery findings are sterling silver and can be cleaned with a soft jewellery cloth. Your jewellery will be shipped in a small ziplock bag and if you keep it sealed in this plastic bag for storage it will stay bright and shiny! Functional items should be hand washed as they could come apart in a dishwasher.